1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a feeder-watering trough which is designed to ensure the safety of the animals utilizing the trough.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many exemplary feeder-watering troughs are illustrated in the prior art. The majority of the prior art troughs are rectangular in shape. However, it is difficult to evenly distribute the feed positioned in a rectangular trough and therefore, the animals feeding therefrom frequently shove and kick in attempting to feed on the grain of an adjacent animal. Further, most prior art troughs include supports positioned adjacent to where the animal must stand when utilizing the trough. These supports cause injuries to the animals as they move about the trough during feeding.
A number of feeding troughs are available in the prior art which are designed to be positioned at ground level. For example, the Harman patent, U.S. Pat. No. 312,462; the Ottinger patent, U.S. Pat. No. 903,309; and the Fulton patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,941,506 are designed to be positioned directly on the ground and would be primarily utilized to feed relatively small animals. Larger animals, for example, cows and horses would not readily be able to utilize the troughs disclosed in these prior art patents.
A number of troughs are available in the prior art which are positioned on the ground and include a cover over an upwardly projecting storage hopper. For example, the Worshman et al patent, U.S. Pat. No. 993,630; the Shiffer patent, U.S. Pat. No. 1,200,892; and the Kwash patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,464,644 disclose troughs primarily used to feed poultry. The troughs include an upwardly projecting storage hopper with a closure cover positioned on the uppermost portion thereof. These troughs would not be suitable for feeding larger animals such as for example, horses and cows.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,491,724, issued to Sunner and U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,706 issued to Evans disclose weaning dishes for animals. Again, like the other prior art troughs discussed above, the weaning dishes are designed to be positioned on ground level.
The most pertinent trough disclosed in the prior art is the Moore patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,860. The Moore patent discloses a stock feeder which includes a tube 10 divided into a plurality of compartments. The trough 10 is in communication with a storage hopper 11, 12 for continuously supplying feed to the tube. However, the Moore patent discloses a support frame 40, 60 which includes a plurality of downwardly projecting legs which are adjacent to the position of an animal utilizing the trough. Therefore, the stock feeder disclosed in the Moore patent may produce injuries to the legs of animals feeding from the trough.
The troughs disclosed in each of the above-mentioned patents suffer from disadvantages which are solved by the feeder-watering trough of the present invention. More particularly, the present invention sets forth a novel feeder-watering trough which includes a central support designed to adjustably position the height of the trough relative to ground level. In addition, the trough includes a centrally disposed portion with an inclined upper surface for evenly dividing feed poured into the trough onto the inclined surface. Supporting the feeder-watering trough from a central support minimizes injuries to the feet and legs of the animals utilizing the trough.